The Alpha's Omega Mate-Chapter 107: Unfamiliar territories.

~Dahlia’s POV~

Shortly after Grandmama Lupe’s surprising recovery, she fell fast asleep, leaving me now to battle with the demons frantically swirling around my head like a tornado.

Leaving me to piece together the scattered pieces of puzzle she had tossed at me earlier.

I struggled to understand as well as shake off this strange encounter with this lovely woman who was both creepy and sweet all at once. But the more I thought about it, the harder it was to shake out the strange familiar feeling settling at the base of my stomach.

Something definitely didn’t feel right to me.

Or perhaps, something felt ’toooo’ right to me.

Maybe it was the way she seemed to understand me more than everyone else I’ve ever come across in my life, or maybe it was her gentle spirit, her fierce tongue and her snarky remarks that made me feel so on edge.

I shook my head. "No, it wasn’t that."

Or was it the way her eyes glowed with different colors every damn time, or how it seems as though she could easily see through me and everyone else, just as if she could see visions?

A shudder ran through me at the thought and I was only snapped out of my reverie when a strange disinfectant smell seeped into my nostrils.

Dr Ava.

Panicking, I instantly dropped into my bed just as my eyes snapped to the door. And as if the universe was suddenly deciding to work in my favor, Dr Ava walked in just then, her eyes widening when she took in the sorry state of the room and the blood still splattered close to Grandmama Lupe’s bed.

"Is she dead?" She muttered slowly, her hands flying to her mouth as she took in the grim look on my face. And instantly, I shook my head.

"She isn’t. She’s asleep."

A sigh of relief slipped past Dr Ava’s lips and the worry lines etched into her face instantly smoothened over. She whispered; "Why didn’t you tell me she was having another episode?" And from the way she asked, I instantly realized that she wasn’t asking simply due to her obligations to us as our doctor, but because she cared.

She obviously liked Grandmama Lupe— I mean who wouldn’t like her? But I couldn’t help but think that maybe she was the ’baby’ Grandmama Lupe was talking about earlier. The one she didn’t want to leave behind just yet.

A pang of jealousy struck me at the thought. And I do not know why; but now, come to think of it, maybe I felt this way because I knew that no one probably loves me enough to feel that way about me.

Because no one in their death beds would be more afraid of losing me than of the looming death itself.

Wiping the stray tears on my face with the back of my hand, I answered; "She asked me not to send for you. Moreover, she said it wasn’t that bad."

Doctor Ava thankfully didn’t argue. She simply said; "Thank you." And I nodded.

I watched her with fascination as she slowly walked over to Grandmama Lupe’s bed, and after thoroughly checking on the older woman, she turned to me with a bright smile on her face. She said; "Her pulse is surprisingly steady and she’s breathing just fine. Thank you."

"You’ve said that before." I grumbled under my breath, but Dr Ava smiled, blissfully ignoring the sharp edge to my voice.

"You don’t get it," she muttered, "I am really grateful to for looking out for her because she may be crazy and may be isolated from the rest of the pack, but she’s the only family I have left."

I froze.

Dang, sweet Athena! I was right, Dr Ava is the ’baby’!

Maybe I should become a soothsayer or something, rather than let all this power go to waste!

"I’m glad I could be of help... and I don’t find her crazy at all." I replied genuinely. "She’s actually a lot of fun and has made me laugh more in the past few hours than I have in ten years." I added lightly, frowning when I noticed how Dr Ava’s face dropped.

She pities me.

Damn it, she pities me and I hate that.

"Ignore what I just said." I said quickly, chuckling awkwardly, and even though Dr Ava nodded with a smile, I still couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes lingered on me a little too long.

And how her body instantly shuffled closer to me— even though I was sure as hell that she didn’t even notice this happening.

Dr Ava’s eyes drifted back to Grandmama Lupe and a strange emotion soon fell over her face like a curtain. Her voice was low, more like she was whispering to herself, but I heard her. She said; "She’s obsessed with finding my half sister who I’m certain died in the fire that killed our parents over a decade ago. But I know deep down, that it’s why she’s still holding off death like this."

I froze.

So... wait, Dr Ava isn’t the ’baby’?

Suddenly feeling like I was trespassing on private grounds, I cleared my throat— thus causing Dr Ava to turn to me with a watery smile— then I whispered; "Can I... can I take a walk outside the hospital?"

Dr Ava’s eyes widened. "No! You’re not fully healed yet, Dahlia!"

At her words, I stuck out my legs playfully and said; "Well, they still hurt but I need to exercise them. I’m tired of being stuck in this bed for the past how many days now?"

"It’s almost five days now." She said slowly until her eyes drifted to my still stuck out legs. She gasped, her eyes nearly bulging. "You took out the cast?" She snapped, with wide scared eyes. "Why?"

"It was uncomfortable." I answered truthfully. "Also I thought they were gauzes not a cast."

Dr Ava rolled her eyes. "Didn’t you feel the hard texture?" She asked exasperatedly, but I only shook my head in my defense.

"You know nothing, Dahlia." She joked, looking out the window.

My eyes followed her gaze and a small smile crept up my face when I noticed that it was late out now. Night. And that the moon was shining so brightly— not even bothering to peek out from underneath the large clouds overhead— that one would think the goddess had decided to bless us with a new lamp tonight.

And then I realized that the Festival of Lights was never celebrated.

And soon, there will be a full moon.

And maybe my next heat cycle.

Oh god, eww!

"Okay, you can take a walk." She suddenly said from beside me, snapping me out of my thoughts. "But be careful and don’t go too far." She added, and again, I nodded obediently, even though deep down, I knew that I was just about to go too far.

Even though deep down, I knew that I wanted to shift. That I wanted to run through the forests... and that I wanted to feel the night air against my fur as I ran carefreely under the moon.

"Thank you."

I limped out of the room shortly afterwards, leaving both Dr Ava and Grandmama Lupe to have their private time together, and I had just gotten a few meters away from every possible prying eyes when I slowly shed off my clothes, hid them behind a tree and shifted.

God, my shift was just as painful as ever, but when it was over, I felt ecstatic.

I felt free.

I howled in delight, uncaring if anyone saw or heard me, and with that began to make my way into the woods, running without a care in the world as the chilly night wind blew against my face and fur.

A sound akin to a moan slipped past my lips when the feel of the grass snapping underneath my paw, and of the rich soil crumbling beneath me overwhelmed me, filling me with intense pleasure. And I didn’t stop.

How I’ve missed this.

I do not know for how long I ran or in which direction I was running in, but by the time I stopped to catch my breath, I froze because then I realized something strange.

Something that filled me with a gripping fear.

I was being followed.

And I was in unfamiliar territory.